◆ SpookStack

| The Supreme Court Toto Room My. — As if the temperature and humidity weren’ Mig Wolloman 9 bear, we have to stand the journalistic heat andy by this week's Supreme Court decisions. The New York Daily News—it was hot In New too—treally blew its top. Talked about impeachment. There hasn’t been much talk about impeaching membegg of the Supreme Court since Civil War days. But the New?>,~ York paper declared yesterday: “If a movement should ey, Ub start in Congress to impeach one or more of the learned 42 . justices, it might have much popular support.” r a vf The Philadelphia Inquirer followed, feebly. Declared: “The High Court Splits Hairs.” Item: The Supreme Court reversed (6 to 1} the conviction of a Midwest labor leader named John T. Wat- kins for contempt of Congress. Watkins refused to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee tha names of persons he’d known as Communists. He admitted con- tributing to Commie causes, but wouldn’t tell on others. We think the Court was right. No American should be forced to inform on the misdeeds of others performed ee oem long ago. Item: The Supreme Court freed five California Co unists convicted under the Smith Act and ordered a ne tial for nine others. It drew a distinction between. “ ocacy of abstract doctrine” and “advocacy directed at romoting unlawful action.” .We think the Court was right ere, too. Americans have a right to shoot off their mouths, if it doesn’t Jead directly to unlawful action. History books recall that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787, when the American Government was just being formed: “A little - rebellion, now and then, is a good thing.” Wonder what would have happened te Jefferson under some interpre- ‘ PHILADELPHIA, PA. tations of the Smith Act? ee INQUIRER Item: The Supreme Court ruled (8 to 0) that former i BULLETIN Secretary of State Dean Acheson wrongfully discharged Lo. DAILY MES John Stewart Service, a Foreign Service officer, as a se- oot OE ert curity risk in 1951. We’re always glad to see justice done : : a —_ to an individual, though late. But we can't help smiling slightly at the memory of rabid GOPartisans accusing BATS Acheson of being too soft on suspected Communists. Now EDITIO the Court says he was too tough. PAGE =) Conclusion: We think the Supreme Court has come COLUMN 7 out on the side of American rights to freedom of thought EDITGR/ 2 ~ fand belief, It has cracked down on improper use by Con- TITLE UP*CAS Eress of ita investigating power, and told it to stick to its ~~. , knitting-—-and to stop going in for exposure “for exposure’ ‘ sake.” Jt has warned Congress, the lower courts and th [i branch that the Constitutional guarantees of in dividual freedom are at least as important as the govern ment’s duty to prosecute Reda, _ We say: Amen. NOT RECORDED : 44 Jui 2 1957 63 JUL3 “37°